Paul didn't know what had happened.

He had acted on a whim, on his instinct. He had done something so fast, he didn't even realise what he had done. It was like a red haze that had enveloped his vision once the man attempted to kill Akkan.

The veil only parted once he had slammed the man into the wall, denting it in the process. There was blood on the floor, and blood on his hands.

The man coughed and spluttered, blood seeping from his mouth

Paul screamed "YOU WILL NOT HURT HIM", his fist connecting hard with the man's jaw.

He kept punching mindlessly at him, not caring what happened, until he felt a hand holding his.

"Stop it, Paul. We need him alive!"

Paul had to use all his self-control to stop him from punching.

Thank you Akkan's earnest voice soothed him you have saved my life.

I … I don't know…

Weyland pulled Paul down from the man.

Akkan roughly shoved Weyland aside, and pulled the sobbing and shivering Paul into his arms.

Shh, it's okay. You did well.

I didn't – I don't know…

You did what you had to. I saw it. You acted like a true xenomorph.

I'm not a xenomorph. I shouldn't have been able to move that fast anyway.

Does it matter what you are? You are mine, Paul, and you did well, protecting me.

My hands are stained…

Akkan held him tight and lifted him up, cradling him in his arms. You did what you had to. No – one blames you.

I love you.

Akkan kissed Paul's cheek I love you too.

Weyland had pulled his gun on the man "What's your name?"

The man spluttered. "I'm Albert Livingston. And you might be?"

A superior smile crept on Weyland's lips. "I am Frederic Bishop Weyland, future CEO of Weyland-Yutani."

"David… Weyland's son..."

Weyland kneeled down beside the man. "Yes. What happened to my father? Where is Dr. Schulz? Did he orchestrate all of this?"

Livingston laughed splutteringly, spitting more blood.

"I can get you to a hospital. I can get your wounds fixed. I can give you your life back in exchange for information."

"Your father is dead. Schulz killed him. Schulz killed everyone who wasn't loyal to him, without a single thought."

"Go on."

"No. I'm not going to betray his loyalty now. Not even… in death"

Weyland growled. "Death is too kind, for the likes of you."

He punched him, again and again. Blood discoloured Weyland's fist, as he beat down on the man's face.

"TELL ME WHERE SCHULZ IS!" Weyland roared, his punches stopping for a second.
"…no…" the man breathed.

"Then you leave me no choice." With these words, Weyland rammed his combat knife through the man's leg, twisting it.

"NO"

Paul had screamed, as the blood ran from the man's leg.

Livingston screamed, but Weyland kept twisting the knife, ramming it deeper and deeper.

"WHERE IS SCHULZ?"

He pulled the knife out again, slamming it into the man's legs again and again. There was blood everywhere. On the knife, on Weyland's hands, on the floor.

Weyland didn't stop. Paul clung on to Akkan.

What is he doing? Why isn't he just killing him?

He… he wants information

I don't understand. He's hurting him.

You hurt people too. I mean your kind.

We kill for food. And we favour a clean kill. What he is doing is just cruel…

Akkan held his talon in front of Paul who was horrified at what Weyland was doing.

It didn't stop him though.

He kept ramming the knife into Livingston's body.

At last, with a broken voice, Livingston begged him to stop.

"Schulz … Fled…. As…soon…as…the..AI…died…"

"Where?"

"Moscow….."

Weyland drew his gun and put a bullet in the man's head.

"We need to get into the CEO's office."

All three of them, Akkan with bloody jaws, Paul very shaken, and Weyland completely splattered in blood, entered the large office of the Weyland-Yutani CEO.

There was a leather armchair behind a large, wooden desk topped with a computer.

This was where the fate of so many things was decided. Weyland's hand drew across the wood.
His father, and his grandfather had been here, sitting at this table, running the family firm.

And so would he.

With a sigh, he sat down on the chair.

Paul sat down on one other, Akkan staying close to him.

"Can this be called a success now?"

Weyland folded his hands. "Partly. From here, I can install myself as the CEO of Weyland-Yutani. Schulz has fled. We will eventually track him down and end what we have begun, but for now, this was a success.

"Are you sure?" Paul was still shaken by the display of Weyland's cruelty.

"I am sure. You must be tired."

Paul nodded. "There is a bedroom on this floor. Go there, and sleep, till you feel healthy enough to join me again."

With a glad face, Paul and Akkan left the room.

Just as they were almost out, Akkan turned around to Weyland, and made a very very human gesture. He pointed at his head, and then at Weyland.

I've got my eye on you, it meant.

It didn't matter to him now. He was where he wanted to be, all that time.

Cromwell and Akkan were now completely unimportant. He had achieved what he had wanted. Once Schulz was dead, and Schulz would die, sooner or later, he would have to find the planet he had promised them, and put them there.

He chuckled. For the little service they had given him, he'd returned a planet. But there were lots of old mining planets with abundant nature and wildlife, even a small human settlement, devoid of humans, where Akkan and Paul could spent the rest of their life undisturbed. Those planets were worthless to him and Weyland-Yutani, so it didn't matter.

Now, he had to hack Schulz' computer, and then expose everything to the public.

He attached the code generator to the small plastic desktop, and started decrypting. It would take time.

He managed to get the password, an impossibly long string of numbers and letters. He wondered how Schulz could remember something like that.

It felt impossible.

The network of the tower was secure against hacking attacks from outside, but no-one expected an attack from the office of the CEO, so Weyland could make short work of the firewalls, cracking into the system.

He started rummaging through Schulz' data.

Paul had located the room Weyland told them about. It wasn't so much a bedroom as an apartment, with its own bathroom. They stepped inside.

Akkan knew his lover was shaken. Hell, it had been quite an ordeal, and what Weyland had done even made him flinch.

He did not understand Weyland's motive. It was not revenge. It was a hunger. An insatiable hunger, he did not understand.

Paul locked the door, and hugged him.

Take your clothes off, and let's have a shower.

The room was decorated in soft brown tones, making Akkan relax.

He watched Paul undress himself shakily, and lifted his lover up. He smelled of sweat and fear and anxiety, and it made Akkan want to do something. Paul hadn't taken the last few events kindly. It wasn't so much the crawling through the ventilation shafts that had gotten to him, but more the killing, and their capture by Albert Livingston.

It had been a surprise, one even he couldn't react to. And Livingston's guard had threatened Paul. It even made him afraid.

He didn't care about bullets, but he did not want to see Paul hurt.

He didn't want to die himself, but he would gladly sacrifice himself to protect Paul. The human was his most prized possession. Now, he was lying naked, pale and weak in his arms. His mate. Akkan gazed upon the frail arms and legs, and the neck so easily snapped, and though about how defenceless he was without him.

But he wasn't. He had a power Akkan didn't understand. He had saved him. He had saved him seconds before he would have died. Paul had reflexes and abilities he knew nothing about. And Akkan suspected Paul didn't either.

Ducking under the doorframe, He set down the human on the floor, and started to fumble with the shower mechanism. It was different than the one on the ship, and he didn't know what to do.

Let me… Paul heaved himself up, pushing away Akkan's helping talon. I'm not dying you know.

You look like you are. Akkan remarked, smiling a bit, and patting Paul on the back.

At least your sarcasm has survived the day.

Akkan didn't even know what sarcasm was. What is a sarcasm? Is it something dangerous?

That made Paul splutter and reel over with laughter. I though you knew! You kept being sarcastic and really sassy.

Oi, don't make fun of me! You never said anything about that. Akkan smiled, happy at Paul laughing. The voice of the human laughing made his heart lighten.

Sarcasm is really hard to explain. It's just the way you are sometimes, just the way you do your comebacks at me. Just the way you are. I don't know how to really explain.

Akkan patted Paul's back. It is okay. I just wish this was over…

Paul turned up the water at an agreeable warmth, and Akkan went down on his knees to fit under the shower. You're the alien killing machine. I though you wouldn't mind.

I do mind. If you'd leave us xenomorphs the choice, we'd rather live quietly than hunt humans through spaceships. But most of the time we have no choice. And yes, I'd rather go to the quiet retreat Weyland has promised us than to keep this up.

Paul put his arms around Akkan, and leaned against him. I'm so totally exhausted. I can't get those pictures out of my mind.

Neither can I. I might not have pity with my prey, but what Weyland did is unnecessary, and I hate him for that. Akkan supported Paul, letting the warm water from the shower run over his head and drip down his chin. He felt spent. Utterly spent, all of a sudden, he didn't know why. He felt tired, and hugged Paul tight.

I love you, Akkan.

I love you too.

Clumsily, Paul reached for the soap and started cleaning Akkan and himself. Akkan wanted to help, but only broke the soap in two when he tried. He was too clumsy with these human artefacts. It made Paul chuckle

Oi, don't laugh. Don't blame me for the stuff being so fragile.

It's okay, dear.

Akkan purred as Paul soaped his head, taking care not to get anything in his mouth. The human had soft hands. He started stroking the human's back with his talons, being careful not to break the soft skin, and injure the flesh below.

They stayed like that under the shower, hugging and letting the warm water flow down their bodies.

I'm tired, Akkan. I want to go to bed.

You won't believe me, but I'm totally destroyed too.

Akkan carried the very sleepy Paul out onto the big bed, where the human cuddled up to the xeno's chest, covering them both with a blanket.

The xenomorph hugged Paul, and curled his tail around his lover's belly. I won't let you leave. I'm here.

I know. I am too.

Paul put his lips on Akkan's, and they kissed deeply.

The night drew in.

Weyland had, still wearing his outfit, called a meeting of the Weyland-Yutani executives, met up with his lawyer, to determine if the signature on David Weyland's last will had been forged, which it had.

He had then told the firm's heads that Dr. Schulz would no longer be in charge. He voted for himself as the new leader of the firm, with which the leading executives agreed. He was a member of the Weyland Clan, and had apparently proven that the signature on his Fathers last will had been forged.

Dr. Schulz did have the possibility to bring this down by means of a lawsuit, but that meant he would have to show his hand. And then Weyland would strike him down. Not legally, but with the aid of a knife.

He had reached it. Finally.

Frederic Bishop Weyland, CEO of Weyland-Yutani.

But this was only the beginning.